The development phase of Link Together is now complete. The stage two application for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund has been submitted. It’s a waiting game until a decision in March!

Link Together, a partnership between Durham Wildlife Trust, Sunderland City Council, and Wear Rivers Trust, will deliver an ambitious programme of work across 13 greenspaces in the Coalfield. Revitalising habitats, creating new areas of woodland and wetland, and breathing new life into local rivers, this exciting £2.2million project will help wildlife recover.

To support delivery of nature recovery, Link Together has also developed green social prescribing opportunities and other ways to engage with the project. Residents will be able to join regular activities: trying out practical conservation; spotting and recording local wildlife and simply enjoying being outdoors in nature, which we can all benefit from.

Look out for a name change – Link Together will be having a rebrand. Currently, the name Link Together refers to the connections people will form with nature or each other, and greenspace connectivity. However, community feedback suggested the name does not reflect the project as there is no mention of wildlife or nature. So, after much deliberation, look out for Links with Nature.

Over the winter and the long wait until spring, I will be keeping in touch with local communities across the Coalfield and preparing the ground for what will hopefully be the start of the delivery phase in summer 2024.